Back Again Beginnings [Leonore]

[Deleted]

@leonore

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broom & bat & bludger ❤ Hogwarts was so much bigger than he remembered- which was odd, considering that usually places you didn't visit in a long time tended to seem smaller. Also, Kryss wasn't really very different from when he had graduated from here a little more than ten years ago. He was a little more beat-up, experienced in quidditch, and learned- not from textbooks, but instead from life's curveballs. -or rather, bludgers if you wanted to put it the wizarding way. In any case, walking back into his former school was definitely an experience. An hour after entering the welcome hall he was still reeling. Never had he thought that he would come back, even for a small visit, be staying in a vacant bed in the Ravenclaw boys' dormitory, or obvserving/scouting the Quidditch games. After unpacking, carefully making sure not to disturb the sleeping kids (it was only 5 AM after all), taking two hours to check out the Quidditch pitch, and flying around a little on his broom, he had decided to go ahead and head down to breakfast. As he entered the Great Hall, all the memories came rushing back. How much he loved this place, and owed it his livelihood. How scared he had been as a first year, walking in, so unsure of what was happening or what would happen. The loud cheering of the older Ravenclaws as the hat announced the house and Kryss stepped down to join them. Food fights, which were always docked 20 house points for. All of it, fun times. He was hoping that the kids here now were enjoying it as much as he had. Taking a seat at an empty end of the table, Kryss took a plate and some food and started to eat. Having nothing better to do than student-watch, he took a glance down at the table and just watched the other Ravenclaws. They seemed like a great lot. Of course, not all of them were here yet, either. Some wouldn't come straggling in until nine, when they had to be at their first class at nine thirty. Krystopher, honestly, was looking forward to getting to know every one of them. That was the other part of his purpose here- to help them as much as he could. It was his duty as an alumni and an employee of the Ministry. PYXIS ★

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Not more than once, Leonore questioned her worthiness of sitting at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall.  She was a Ravenclaw, but did she deserve to be one? Sure, the Sorting Hat had his reasons, but...she was academically bright, yes, and open-minded.  But what about witty and confident? She assumed that the epitome of being a Ravenclaw was to know how to banter with sharp wits and be calm and assured.  It was unfortunate for her that she had none of that in her.  Leonore was clumsy and insecure, and she wasn't witty.  Actually, she was capable of saying things with witty flare to them--but that was only when she was insulting herself, and sometimes she stated the comments so oddly that no one understood what she truly meant! She always found a way to mess things up.

But if she didn't think that she was worthy of belonging in Ravenclaw, then what house did she think that she belonged in? Actually, she didn't dare think that.  No house should be punished to have a weak sop like her boasting its colors.  Everyone around her, no matter what their houses were, were so confident and fabulous.

Alas, she had been sorted into Ravenclaw six years ago and there was no other way out of being sorted into either one of the houses.  Her grandparents wanted her to attend school and would be livid if she got sent home because the Sorting Hat refused to sort her in either one of the four houses.  She still thought that Ravenclaw was too good for her, though.  However, the good thing was that sometimes when she was actually feeling optimistic, she prided herself upon her academic achievements and her open mind.  What she need to work on, though, was wit, and she would feel complete.  But how she was going to do that, she had no clue.

Anyway, Leonore was a little late for breakfast.  That was because she had overslept a little, and the poor girl had hurriedly tied herself up and changed into her school uniform and robes.  She would've made a mad dash down to the Great Hall had she not wanted to kill herself.  Running down moving staircases was not advised for someone who knew she was clumsy.

But the good thing was she wasn't all that late, and there was still plenty of time for her to eat.  When she entered in the hall, she quietly, with her head lowered slightly, walked over to the Ravenclaw table that was already filled with people.  There was only space left for at the end that was rather secluded.  Leonore was a little downcast, for she would've liked to sit with Mia or Rose.  But then again, a secluded part of the table matched her perfectly, as she tended to try to keep away from the crowd. 

She made her way toward that end of the table and sat down.  Leonore was about to fill her plate with the food from the serving dishes in front of her, but then she noticed the figure of someone else sitting close by from the corner of her eye.  She glanced up and was surprised to find a man who was past his twenties.  Definitely not a student.  She wondered what an adult was doing here; who was he, and what purpose did he have being at the school? He curiosity was piqued and she continued to stare at the man, wondering.

But then the realization that she was being rude with her staring hit her.  Typical awkward move on her part.  The Ravenclaw's face became red with embarrassment and shame.  "S-sorry, Mister!" she apologized.  "I didn't mean to stare like that...I-I know it's rude.  It was just, I don't really see grownups siting here often, so..." She certainly was making a better impression of herself, wasn't she? She was quite tongue tied and didn't exactly know what to say next, because she knew she'd just ramble on and on.  But at the same time she wished that she could've thought of something suave and casual to say to make the situation less awkward.  She always dropped herself into an awkward predicament on her own.                   

Tag: @bryune

[Deleted]

@leonore

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broom & bat & bludger ❤ As always the food was good- the house elves were some of the best in the world- and Kryss ate in almost a nolstalgic stupor. Before he knew it he had one plate clean, and was reaching for another helping of everything. Of course, back when he was still a student, prefect, Ravenclaw team beater and Quidditch captain, taking his NEWTS, and tutoring sometimes, he'd often have four or five plates over breakfast. But his metabolism, and thank God his appetite also, had slowed down some with the onset of adulthood. More students came in, looking for some study and eating time before first class. Many had textbooks in front of them and were reading while absentmindedly shoveling grub in. There was one kid down the table that dumped a forkful of eggs on his front and didn't realize it until he put the cold, hard utensil in his mouth. Sure it was funny but Kryss had done it to himself once or twice or perhaps ten times in the past. He was so busy involved in thoughts and situations that he barely noticed when the little sixth year took a seat close by. So for a moment he was oblivious to her curious gaze. Even he really didn't know why he was here. Though he told himself it was just for charity and out of caring for the kids, he had a feeling that really when it came down to the line it was more for himself. To get back in touch with his inner child again. When he had left Hogwarts to pursue a career in Quidditch, he had left a part of himself that cherished learning and teaching. Sure he was always learning new tricks of the trade and having to teach basics about his ministry job now, but Hogwarts was different. It was just... so precious to him. Finally he turned his head, and almost immdiately locked gaze with the lovely Ravenclaw. She quickly darted her glance away, embarrassed. "S-sorry, Mister! I didn't mean to stare like that...I-I know it's rude. It was just, I don't really see grownups sitting here often, so..." The Quidditch star's heart softened for her. She had a reason to be curious about his presence here; the reason she gave was more than enough. Smiling gently he slid down the table a bit so that he was across from her. "Don't worry about it. Yeah. I never saw other adults sitting at the house tables either when I was a Ravenclaw." He never recalled an alumnus sitting with the students, anyway. They all wanted a spot at the professors' table- when they visited, that was. Which was never. "I'm Kryss Roye. You are..?" He hoped that she would warm to him. She seemed like someone who would be sweet and kind, and also intelligent, like a Ravenclaw should be. He completely understood her worry and insecurity; Ravens often had trouble communicating. PYXIS ★

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Leonore had been expecting the man to laugh at her bashfulness, or at least look at her strangely. Adults were no less merciless towards her, really. They handled it more maturely, but just like her peers, they judged her. She had adult relatives who looked at her with pitiful scorn. Her grandmother often told her that even if she had a pretty face, potential suitors would frown upon her lack of grace. She always agreed with those comments and understood that she really needed to work on her elegance. It wasn't easy, though. She was convinced that she was cursed from birth to be plagued by this awkward personality of hers.

But then, he gave her a gentle smile, one that was similar to the one that the Finnigan lad had given her which won him her trust, for he had ensured that he was genuinely kind to her.  Was this man like him? Was he one of those people who are understanding and sympathetic instead of judgmental and contemptuous? She was still blushing slightly, but instead of looking flustered, she smiled shyly at him instead in response to his smile.  How easy it was to gain her trust just by looking genuinely warm.  "You were a Ravenclaw? That's nice..." She thought it cool that she was sitting in the presence of a Ravenclaw alumnus.  She still didn't know why he was here, but she was interested that he had been part of her house, once.

He introduced himself as Kryss Roye.  The surname Roye reminded him of the French word "roi", which meant "king".  She knew it because Raoul had told her during the moments when they had actually talked normally as younger kids, before she did something for him to bully her about.  She thought he had a nice name.  "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Roye...I'm Leonore Wolfe," she replied demurely.  "I'm in my sixth year, in Ravenclaw."  But then she remembered, conveniently too late, that she was sitting at the Ravenclaw table.  What did that make her then--a Hufflepuff? Darn it! Why was she so stupid at times.  "Agh! Oops! S-sorry! Forget I said that!  I mean, that part about being in Ravenclaw!" she said hastily.  "You already know I'm a Ravenclaw.  T-there was no need to say it...why else would I be sitting here, at the Ravenclaw table? Of course I would be a Ravenclaw..."  Leonore blushed again and scratched the bag of her head.  She hated embarrassing herself like this, but hopefully Mr. Roye would understand.

"Um...so...what are you doing here, sir?" she asked curiously.  Of course, she remembered to add before she could forget for good, "I-If I may ask?"                     

Tag: @bryune

[Deleted]

@tags

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broom & bat & bludger ❤ Some people marveled that Kryss had been a pro Quidditch player and still showed so much sympathy and kindness. The profession was famous the world over for hardening and turning men mean by that lifestyle, as their egos overinflated. Kryss had seen it personally: players believing that they were hot stuff, and consequently abandoning the team for personal glory. Kryss, his secret was always remembering where he had come from. Also, the gift of a loving but not overbearing mother. Helen Roye's grandmother said the same things as Leonore's grandmother, and Helen had been rebellious. She ran away to be with the man that loved her- Jakob. And then, when he died, she made it on her own. Learning from the mistakes of her own family, she taught her son that it was okay to put yourself out there. Go ahead and make mistakes. People will like you in the end if you just be you. "Yes, I was a Ravenclaw." Kryss could almost picture the great hall like it used to be. Of course it was still very similar, but not the same. Different students. "It was the greatest time. Though I was really busy, being a prefect and on the Quidditch team and having to do schoolwork..." He chuckled. How had he ever found time to do everything? Seemed impossible now that he thought about it. "Leonore. I like it. Nice to meet you." Interesting. Her name was two carnivores mashed together, but she was so shy. He couldn't help but wonder if underneath she had a more confident side, one that perhaps might be more like the lion and wolf that was her namesake. Sixth year- good information. Honestly he didn't think much of her statement about being a Ravenclaw, he did that sometimes, too, when it came to his job. "I know--" He was saying, as she burst into apology again. In response he just laughed good-naturedly. "It's fine. I've done it before, too. There was this one time I reintroduced myself completely to a friend- he had gotten his hair cut and I didn't recognize him at first." He hoped that she would forgive him for being so much of a chatterbox. "Um...so...what are you doing here, sir?" "Well, I do have a couple of reasons other than pure nostalgia." Of course he would be willing to elaborate on his purpose here. Before continuing, he picked up his glass of Apple juice and took a drink. "I wanted to come back to see how the school is doing, see how I could help a little, coach the Quidditch teams perhaps. I used to be captain back in my day, and played professionally for seven years after I graduated." A slight nod, another swig of juice. "I'm also scouting, and advising anyone who might want to be a pro Quidditch player." PYXIS ★

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"You were a prefect? Wow, that's amazing..." Being a prefect was probably not a big fete, but to Leonore it sounded like the man before her must have been a student serious about succeeding in school, and not many children could say the same.  Mia was a prefect, and Leonore thought that she was astute, responsible, and intelligent enough for the position in a way that distinguished her from the rest of the student body, and that was no small accomplishment.  It was easy for Leonore to think that way, though, herself believing that she could barely do the simplest of things besides studying

She blushed out of embarrassment when he complimented her name.  "Thank you," she said.  She knew that her name was not very common and had an exotic-like sound to it to most, lovely in fact.  The funny thing was she didn't live up to that bold, fascinating name.  She could be a dainty little Mary for all anyone knew.

By now she knew that people like Kryss were warm enough to assure her that there was nothing wrong with what she said and they understood.  Even if her instincts made her panicky even so, she still knew, deep down, that at this stage she had nothing to fear from kind gentleman like the man seated beside her.  But she couldn't help but chuckle a little at his story about reintroducing himself to a friend.  "That's funny," she commented.  It was entirely new, and she appreciated that he would share that story to her as in experience of messing up as well. 

She definitely looked interested when he told her what he was doing here.  "Oh, so are you going to assist the flying professor in teaching the class? Or is it just the Quidditch teams you're concerned about?" she asked.  Leonore obviously thought she was way too fatally clumsy to try flying, but it was still interesting to hear about others in action with Quidditch and flying on a broom.  "Or are you going to just see what you can do in general, whatever the school needs help with?" Maybe she was taking his words too critically, but she wanted to make sure that she missed nothing.  She didn't have the confidence to generalize what was important on the surface.

The Ravenclaw looked delighted when he stated that he was scouting.  Scouting for Quidditch players of this school during this generation of students?! That meant that she'd definitely know any future professional Quidditch players there were! "Has anyone caught your attention yet?" she asked eagerly.  "Especially anyone on the Ravenclaw team? Our team is really good." She couldn't help but slip in some house pride.  She loved her house, and being part of Ravenclaw.  Even if she thought that she could work on her witty Ravenclaw skills, at least she was knowledgeable and intelligent.  Sometimes--or most of the time, however you view it--wisdom was suppressed because of her shyness, but it was there.  

@bryune